Ungaggable Turnbull agrees to agree, for now

It should be galling to an opposition frontbencher to have responsibility for one policy but to have journalists constantly badger him about another subject altogether.

Malcolm Turnbull
, however, seems to enjoy it. The Coalition’s communications spokesman shows no reluctance to talk about climate change when he turns up to TV interviews or media doorstops.

Turnbull has been so central to the nation’s climate change debate that the temptation is inevitable. He was easily drawn into a lengthy discussion about climate change on the ABC’s Lateline program in May, followed it up with a blog defending his position and made a speech on climate science this month.

As the political leader who did more than anybody else to attempt a bipartisan position on carbon pricing, the former opposition leader can’t avoid attracting questions about the carbon tax.

Other Liberals think he could dodge them more deftly. Asked on Sky News on Thursday night whether the Coalition’s direct action policy was better than Labor’s carbon tax, Turnbull made no attempt to sell the Coalition plan.

Asked why direct action was better, he said: “Because that is our policy and that is the considered opinion of the Coalition and all of the shadow ministry support it."

Turnbull made no claim that he supported it because it was good policy, only because it was an agreed policy. “I do support it, because I’m part of a team," he said. “That is, the team has taken a position."

It was hardly a ringing endorsement. For some in the Coalition, it was another display of the ill-discipline that prompted criticism of Turnbull a week ago.

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The nimblest politician would struggle to find a way through Turnbull’s dilemma.

With every comment he must choose between showing team loyalty and holding firm to his personal belief in putting a market price on carbon – the belief that helped lose him the Liberal leadership in December 2009.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott conceded there were “ups and downs" in his long relationship with Turnbull, which began when they were at Sydney University in the 1970s, but sent a pointed message.

“Malcolm very well understands the Coalition’s direct action policy and he supports it – that’s a condition of being in the shadow cabinet," he told the Nine Network. “It’s not his job to talk about a whole range of policy, it’s his job to talk about communications policy."

Asked later if his leader had gagged him, Turnbull sounded a little defiant. “No one has gagged me," he said. “I’m ungaggable, I can assure you. I am beyond gagging."

There is no doubt about that. But he will have to be more guarded even when the gag’s off.